Olympia - Table Tennis: Ovtcharov writes story: Boll and Co. against China for gold, women around bronze

The German table tennis men in a renewed thriller have achieved the final master Timo Boll achieved the final of serial winners China in a new thriller. Dimitrij Ovtcharov writes story.

Dimitrij Ovtcharov dropped to the ground after the decisive matchball and hit his hands in front of the face, then Altmamp Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska plummed on him. In a true table tennis thriller, the 32-year-old provided for a happy end, made the dream final against China on Friday (12.30 pm Mesz) perfect - and wrote with his victory to 3-2 against Japan at the same time history.

"Against China in the final of Olympic Games - this is the biggest challenge in table tennis, maybe in the whole sport," Ovtcharov said, "But there were also many trying to beat Nadal at the French Open. Now Djokovic did it Change luck on our side. "

"Six medals at Olympia - that's madness"

In the semifinals it was in any case on the German side. While Boll (40) became the matchwinner with victory in double and singles, Ovtcharov secured to the defeat of Patrick Franziska to the top of 2: 2 his sixth Olympia medal - no player has more than the single third of Tokyo. "Six medals at Olympia - that's madness. There are others who would be glad to have only one. That's a huge balance," said Bundestrainer Jörg Roßkopf.

Gold is missing Ovtcharov yet, but he did not give up hope for the opponent in the final. "In the final we will fight to the last point. We believe in it," said the two-time European champion. Boll sounded like: "We should also believe in us against China, and this game must first be played. Of course, China is strong, but we will definitely try it and are super hot," he said.

China is clear favorite in the final on Friday. Since the premiere of the team competition 2008, the table tennis great power has won all the games at Olympia, including the duels with Germany in the final 2008 and semi-finals 2012.

Women are still fighting bronze

But the Germans can fight: in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Boll and Franziska made a 3-2 of a 3-2 in double against Jun Mizutani / Koki Niwa for a start. Ovtcharov lost the top game against the 18-year-old Tomokazu Harimoto (1: 3), but Boll returned the old distance against mixed-Olympic champion Mizutani (3: 1). According to Francis, scarce defeat against vertical starter Harimoto (2: 3) Ovtcharov kept the nerves against Niwa in the decisive match against Niwa (3: 0).

The German women missed the finale. Petrissa Solja, Han Ying and Shan Xiaona were subject to the pot favorite China in a new edition of the final of 2016 with 0: 3 and already fight on Thursday (4.00 mesz) against Hong Kong around Bronze.

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"That's not a leg break. The game morning counts more than the game today," said Bundestrainer Jie Schöpp. China has won all 16 team encounters with 3: 0 since 2008, the opponents only reach twelve sentence gains - one of them took on Wednesday Sportsoldatin Solja against Olympic Champion Chen Meng.